Today we woke up on board National Geographic Resolution to phenomenal blue-sky conditions in the Weddell Sea. We drove through the sea ice like a hot knife through butter and admired the power and beauty of this ship. The bridge team are so skilled, and it was such a treat. We drove into fast ice and tried to make a landing. We sent out a scout party to test the thickness of the ice. Unfortunately, the conditions were not quite right with shifting currents, so we ended up enjoying a glorious morning from the ship.
While sailing, we had the incredible opportunity to spot an emperor penguin, the largest penguin species on the planet. It was truly a rare and breathtaking experience. We then found an amazing patch of ocean surrounded by tabular icebergs. We dropped Zodiacs and went for a cruise among gigantic chunks of ice, and we found yet another emperor penguin standing on top of an ice floe. Once back on board, we were treated to an incredible sunset with golden light falling on the massive ice. It was a wonderful day down in Antarctica.
